I Got a Jar of Dirt
by Takara Phoenix
Summary: Returning to the past, Brainiac is conflicted about what to do. Send Winn to the future, or keep him in the past where he would be safe? Thankfully, Mon-El is a good friend. Brainy/Winn slash


Supergirl || Braininn || Supergirl || I Got a Jar of Dirt || Supergirl || Braininn || Supergirl

Title: I Got a Jar of Dirt – And Guess What's Inside It?

Fandom: Supergirl | DC Comics

Disclaimer: All rights concerning the show reserved to Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg. The _Green Arrow_ comics are copyright by DC. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: m/m, fluff, oblivious idiots

Main Pairing: Brainy/Winn

Supergirl Characters: Winslow 'Winn' Schott Junior, Querl Dox | Brainiac 5, Mon-El

Summary: Returning to the past, Brainiac is conflicted about what to do. Send Winn to the future, or keep him in the past where he would be safe? Thankfully, Mon-El is a good friend.

 **I Got a Jar of Dirt**

 _And Guess What's Inside It?_

Querl Dox was not the most well-versed in emotions. Or social cues. Or the link between those.

"You're been... oddly gloomy since your return", noted Mon-El cautiously.

Brainy blinked as he looked up at Mon-El. He attempted to put the piece of paper away before Mon-El could see it, but the Daxamite had already caught sight of it. He stopped Brainy from putting it away, instead taking it to twirl it around in his hand.

"You _stole_ this", chuckled Mon-El. "From the National Archive. Why did you..."

"The future... need Winslow Schott", stated Querl with a frown. "I am tempted to send him to replace me in the Legion. His mind..."

"And yet you keep playing it down and putting his intelligence down", snorted Mon-El and rolled his eyes. "You're like one of those kids on TV who pull the pigtails of the girl they like."

"Winn is not a girl and he does not have pigtails", noted Querl slightly confused.

"It's a... never mind", grunted Mon-El and shook his head. "So, you say the future needs you. Then what's stopping you from sending him back to the future?"

"It is an illogical course of action", pointed Querl out, frown deepening. "If we remove Winn from this time and endanger him in the future, if something happens to him in the future and he dies and consequently never returns to his time, he will never create the very inventions that are now the reason why he does seem like the perfect choice to send. It's a paradox. But the potential danger he would be put into has a higher percentage rate of failure than keeping him here and letting him grow to become the inventor the future will need."

"So, you're worried about him", nodded Mon-El.

"I am not... worried about him. With how he is, there would be a 74 percent chance of him getting himself killed during a mission in the future. The chances of fatality increase to 86 percent if he does not form a bond of trust with someone, the same level as his with Supergirl", stated Brainy matter-of-factly. "He draws strength from those on his team he trusts. To thrust him into the future, where he would know only Imra – and the two of them have not yet formed an actual bond – it would not benefit the situation at all."

"You're worried about him", repeated Mon-El, nodding again. "What's why you bugged him. Not the DEO in general. Him, specifically. You gave him a bugged jar of dirt so you could keep track of him and make sure he would be fine."

"Because... everyone comes to him for advise and help. When something would happen, he would be a most reliable source for it", explained Querl.

"Buddy. You like Winn", offered Mon-El patiently.

"Of course do I like him. And Supergirl and J'onn J'onzz and Agent Danvers and Mister Olsen. I do not understand your point, Mon-El. We're a team", argued Brainy.

"You've been... nagging him in particular. Spending a lot of time with him. Getting him a thoughtful present... and using that to spy on him because you worry", listed Mon-El. "I saw you two when we parted. What was that? You looked like you wanted to _kiss_ him, cradling his face like that."

"It... appeared to be the proper way to part", frowned Brainy.

"The proper way to part for Imra and me. We're married. The proper way to part for _lovers_. You and I said goodbye for missions too. You never went for cradling my face", pointed Mon-El out.

"You are not him", argued Brainy. "...Ah. I see what you are doing. You are trying to point out the things that make Winslow Schott... special. Different from others."

"Ye—es", nodded Mon-El, patting Brainy on the shoulder. "Come on. You're smart, the smartest guy I know. Look at it from an observer's perspective. Think about it."

Frowning, Querl leaned back in his chair and turned enough to watch Winn through the glass window. How... peculiar. That had not been part of the plan when first arriving here.

/break\

"His death was not your fault."

Winn frowned as he turned to look at Brainy. Brainy in his really unfairly hot human form. Was still getting used to that. It was wildly distracting. Blinking, Winn registered Brainy's words.

"It should have been better", muttered Winn frustrated.

"Science is a process of trial and error and improvement", offered Brainy. "It was a trial and it was an error. Now it is your turn to _improve_ it."

Hesitantly, Winn sighed. He knew, on a rational level, that Brainy was right. Turning away a bit, his eyes fell on the jar of dirt. Space-dirt. With a hidden tracker, as Mon-El had revealed.

"Stop acting like you actually have faith in my abilities", snorted Winn. "You've done nothing but call my intellect inferior and even bugged me because—because you don't trust me not to screw up? I mean, me, specifically. So many places you could have bugged."

"That is... No. That is not... right", disagreed Brainy with a deep frown. "Mon-El pointed out to me that perhaps, I have given you the jar of dirt... because I worry about you. Specifically you."

"...Worry? About... me?", asked Winn stunned, blinking a couple of times and gaping. "What?"

"Yes", nodded Brainy in agreement. "I didn't quite understand it either, but... Mon-El has drawn reasonable parallels between the things... I might feel for you and what constitutes a romantic relationship. After running all possibilities in my head, I came to the conclusion that he is right."

"So romantic", nodded Winn, tilting his head. "Wait. Does that... are you... Are you asking me out?"

"I... suppose I am", confirmed Brainy. "That does seem to be the next logical step."

"Okay, wait. Let me get this straight. So, when you gave me that jar of dirt, it wasn't just a jar of dirt with a bug to keep tabs on me because you worry about me. It was more of a... like... a romantic gift? Also, you bugged me because you were _worried_ about me", recapped Winn. "And... now you want to... go on a date, with me? That means... you're _staying_?"

"Ah. Yes. Have I buried the lead again?", asked Querl and tilted his head. "The future is... not safe for AIs like me. So, I have decided to stay on Earth. And I would like to spend this time with you."

Winn blinked, repeatedly, without saying a word. This was not how he had expected this day to end. But then again, ever since his best friend turned out to be Kryptonian, his life had enjoyed being hijacked every now and again. And Brainy looked really hot and was brilliant and cute?

"Okay. Take me out on a date", grinned Winn pleased.

 _~*~ The End ~*~_

* * *

 _Author's note: Because I have this habit of growing attached to a ship while watching the show and then just... waiting too long and the mood passed and I end up never writing it. So, I decided to break that habit and just write what I think is cute. And damn, those two are cute. Their interactions were super adorable. But the conclusion of "Yes, his future inventions are integral for the future so let's take him out of time so he potentially may never invent them" was absolutely irrational and I hate the idea of Winn not being in the next season? So I fixed that. Yeah._


End file.
